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Monday, December 26, 2011

Scrooged! Why the 21st century now looks like the 19th.

I find it funny that some Freemasons and even some obediences have a tendency to mention that old saw about not speaking of politics, most often when the politics being spoken of is not the type with which they agree. However, as Freemasons, we are also supposed to be concerned about improving society as well as ourselves. As any brief glance at the history of our institution will remind us, Freemasons sometimes in large numbers, individually if not as an institution, have been actively engaged in political and social change. Unlike the claims of the conspiracy theorists, as an institution, that engagement has almost always been for the better.

With that in mind, it seems completely in keeping with Masonic principles to encourage my brothers and sisters to read the article linked below. Now, as individuals you can be more or less conservative than I am, and I am not particularly concerned about the nominal references to Christianity in this article, as they are also literary, but the commentary is truly worth consideration. Tiny Tim is with us still.

The Hedge Mason's Friends:

E C Ballard is a Folklorist, and Ethnographer specializing in Afro-Caribbean traditions of Central African origin, Fraternalism, Celtic Studies and Ethnomusicology, having received his Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. Eoghan has been variously musical instrument maker, bookseller, college professor, academic dean, and independent researcher. Eoghan is Tata Nganga, a Vodousaint, and is a Master Mason, Orator for Lodge Intrepid, and GM of GLMRNAC, affiliated with UMURM.